Page 62 of Finding Noah
Stormy woofed.
The other two looked confused.
I led them into the family room, where I plopped down onto the floor. All at once, I had three dogs trying to climb over me, kiss me, and generally attempt to get my full attention. I hugged, gave scritches, and generally had a great time.
My life can’t get any better than this.
Well, Noah could tell me he loved me in a romantic way. But I wasn’t going to try for the moon when things on earth, at least for today, were pretty darn sweet.
Chapter Eighteen
Noah
“Snowy and Jasmine couldn’t have found a better home.” Pam grinned as she tucked the paperwork away and gazed at the two cats in the crate I just happened to have brought with me.
I’d completed the application online for the siblings. Because I’d rescued from Safe Haven before, Pam had approved me right away. They were also getting fuller. In fact, a mama cat and her seven kittens had just been rescued from a hoarder—along with eleven other cats. I wanted to take mama and babies, however I’d managed to suppress the urge. The family required constant care, and between my own brood, Christian, and my burgeoning business, I had too much going on.
Plus, Snowy and Jasmine—seven- and nine-year-old cats respectively, had been in the shelter for a while and really needed a forever home. Something Christian and I could absolutely offer.
I waved, then hefted the crate as I headed out. Neither cat was particularly huge, but their combined weight—along with the crate—was pretty heavy.
At the pet store, I grabbed a cart to put their crate in. The temperature outside was already warm, and the temperature inside the car would climb precipitously. I wasn’t going to risk them getting heatstroke.
As I stepped inside, Sam waved. “Hey, you’re back.”
“Yep.” I pointed to the crate. “And about to spend some serious dough.”
The gorgeous man clapped his hands. “Can’t wait.” The twinkle in his eye assured me that although he’d be happy for the sale, that wasn’t the only reason he did what he did. No, labor of love more likely. He gestured to the crate. “May I?”
“Absolutely.” I stood back as he made his way over.
“Their names?”
“Snowy and Jasmine.”
He chuckled. “Let me guess—the white Himalayan is Snowy. Is she a seal lynx point?”
I was impressed. The light tan stripes along the cat’s face and the color of her paws were pale enough to almost go unnoticed. “She is. She used to be a queen, but she retired last year. Jasmine was just a plain domestic shorthair who lived in the house as well. The owner got sick earlier this year, and her medical bills are horrendous. She couldn’t keep the cats and so surrendered them as a pair.”
“And now you’re rescuing them.” Sam placed a gentle hand on my arm. “That’s so good of you.”
For a moment, I simply started at my arm. His dark skin was a shade lighter than mine. The pads of his fingers were rough—clearly he was a man who worked with his hands. He was just the sort of guy I’d havechosen in my previous life. He appeared nice, though, so that was a bit different. Not someone I had to try to change. “Uh, maybe can you show me to the cat aisle?”
“Sure. And I can help you pick out what you need.”
“Oh, as much as I appreciate that, I’ll be okay.”
“Really? I offer a discount to anyone who rescues an animal from Safe Haven.”
In that moment, I didn’t know whether to callbullshitor not. No question, he was hitting on me. The question was whether or not I wanted to be wooed by a stranger. A really cute, and apparently nice stranger, but I guy I didn’t know all that well.
Still, a discount was a discount, and even a few dollars helped—I could buy more stuff for the cats as well as a couple of squeaky toys for the dogs. I’d likely regret that decision when I wanted to get frisky with Christian—
Christian.
Huh.
By the time I had everything loaded in the car—with Sam’s help, I was tired. I just wanted to get home, get the cats settled, and maybe take a nap.
